"One great tip to make you money"

Years ago I was being interviewed by a TV News Channel when the journalist asked me what the most expensive collectible in the world is.

I thought about it for a second.

Then I replied "The most expensive collectible you'll ever purchase is the one that isn't authentic"

It's a phrase that's stuck with me ever since... and if you take away anything from reading our newsletters please let it be the importance of authenticity and provenance when buying an item.

It's an old adage but it still rings true: if it looks too good to be true it probably is.

There are very few bargains in the world... what we can do is look for items with potential. Items that tick all the right boxes.

We're offered dozens of items every day of the week.

Many are genuine, world class collectibles that we feel honored to have been offered and are delighted to purchase.

However, it's fair to say the majority are fakes.

Last week we were asked our opinion on a signed photo of Princess Diana.

"Can you tell me if this is a fake because I won it for under £5 and it was posted out to me in a plain brown envelope"

Unfortunately £5 barely buys you a pint of beer in a central London pub these days.

The item wasn't genuine.

If it was a genuine Princess Diana signed photo I could have made a few phonecalls and sold it for upwards of £8,000 ($13,000).

It's always heart breaking to tell people that what they have bought isn't the real deal.

So remember...

If it looks too good to be true it probably is

Author JK Rowling says the same, she estimates 9 out of 10 of 'her' autographs that she sees for sale are forged.

FBI reports suggest up to 90% of items on eBay are forgeries.

And a recent report by the BBC has estimated that 90% of football shirts on the global markets could be fakes.

However there is a positive side to a rise in fakes and forgeries. It means the market is popular and has a big demand.

Football shirts are one such market. They tick all the boxes for what we look for in collectibles.

• Increased demand
• Limited supply

The football memorabilia markets are growing quickly. This is a market with huge potential.

After all, what's better for a football fan than owning a shirt signed by their favourite player?

Not only are people buying a great memory, there also buying a superb display piece, and a great investment for the future.

Football is now attracting a middle class audience and memorabilia prices have been rising over the last 5 years.

And here's the potential - prices remain undervalued when compared to more established sports memorabilia markets.

Take this example...

The most expensive piece of baseball memorabilia is possibly the famous Honus Wagner Baseball Card, made in 1910. It sold in 2000 for $1,265,000, in April 2007 for $2,350,000 netting its owner an 85.57% return in just seven years.

The most expensive piece of football memorabilia is the first FA Challenge Cup which was sold by Christies in May 2005 for £278,400 - approx $450,000.

Yet football is the wealthiest sport in the world.

• Buying a football club is the latest hobby of Billionaires
• 2.2 billion people around the world watched the recent World Cup finals
• The market in China and Asia is huge with 25m people watching a single Premier League football match

We've been looking at this market for the last 18 months, buying genuine pieces wherever possible.

And there is fierce competition. We've been up against Museums and even football clubs themselves. Manchester United have been buying up memorabilia of their ex players for their Old Trafford Museum.

The next World Cup will be hosted in Qatar, a country awash with money. They're looking to build their own football Museum.

Others are being built in Russia and China.

With growing demand we're convinced this is a great market to be in.

However you'll need to be careful as there are an increasing number of forgeries around.

I don't want to put you off this market, quite the opposite as I'm investing heavily myself, but you will need to be prudent.

Like I say we've been looking around for 18 months. What's available is very limited. The simple fact is there is very little quality material available. When it is available it gets snapped up quickly.

In 18 months I've managed to find just four top quality items.

These are four football shirts signed by legends.

• One is a famous world cup winner
• Another is voted the world's best footballer
• How about a Manchester United legend?

These are pretty much as good as you get in the football shirt world and you have my word, a certificate of authenticity, and a lifetime guarantee, that they are authentic.

What's more, with prices starting at just £550 ($895) these shirts offer fantastic potential for the future. 

Click here to have a look.

Regards

Paul

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